RSVP or Just Show Up!

THANK YOU to everyone who’s picked up a copy of Death on the Lanai—and Murder by Cheesecake and Nothing Bad Happens Here—and helped get it on the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Canadian bestseller lists!

ICYMI, Rachel talked Golden Girls with Heather Abraham and David Highfield on Pittsburgh Today Live, and you can watch the interview here or on YouTube!

Thank you for being a friend, and hope to see you at Penguin!

The Littsburgh Crew

Andrew’s book launch is TODAY (June 2nd) at White Whale, so if you’re interested and able, stop by and tell ‘em you heard about it right here on Littsburgh! He’ll also be doing another local event at Woolly Bear (and has more tour dates in the region listed on his site, in case you’re reading from Erie or Morgantown).

And Rachel’s about to head out on the first leg of her tour for Death on the Lanai tomorrow (here’s a link to her Instagram if you’d like to help spread the word, and to her Substack for more info)… but she’ll be back in Pittsburgh on June 14th for her local book launch at Penguin Bookshop in Sewickley—we would LOVE to see you there!

ICYMI, Rachel was on KDKA’s Pittsburgh Today Live with Heather Abraham and David Highfield, and you can watch that clip here when it’s live!

And here’s a little whimsy to help kick off this beautiful week…

Thank you to CLP for hosting the Pittsburgh Book Festival and to everyone who said “hi” after Rachel’s panel—we were so incredibly honored to help get the word out about the festival as a sponsor (and to see our logo on the back of all those bright yellow shirts, leading so many of our favorite authors through the crowds in Oakland).

Until next time!

The Littsburgh Crew

The first leg of her tour is bookending in Pittsburgh, starting with a stop at the PGH Book Fest on May 30th and ending at Penguin Bookstore on June 14th, with more stops to come (we’re still figuring out how to book tour with a baby :)

Full Tour

If you’re a local reader, please come say “hi” and help us celebrate Death on the Lanai (her second Golden Girls cozy mystery and a B&N Best Paperback for June)!

PITTSBURGH, PA: Saturday, May 30 at 12 noon at Schenley Plaza

PGH BOOK FEST —Free to the public, though if you pre-register, you get priority seating :)

Dangerously Cozy Mystery Panel

Booksigning to follow

SEWICKLEY, PA: Sunday, June 14 at 3:00 PM

Penguin Bookshop

Talk, Booksigning, Snacks, and Prizes!

RSVP here! (Or just show up… but it helps to know how many to expect for book orders and for the snacks!)

If you’re new to Littsburgh and haven’t had a chance to meet Rachel…

We’ll be sending another email out on pub day, but she’s on Substack and Instagram if you’d like to connect!

And if you’re not already internet friends, you probably didn’t see these three unboxing videos Rachel made for Death on the Lanai—one when she got her advanced reader’s copies, one for finished books… and one because she saw a “Big Daddy” pizza box that was too good to pass up :)

Unboxing Video Three: The Puffy Sleeves
Watch on Instagram or YouTube or TikTok

Unboxing Video Two: The Big Daddy Pizza Box
Watch on Instagram or YouTube or TikTok

Unboxing Video One: With a Very Special Cameo…
Watch on Instagram or Youtube or TikTok

We also want to shout out Beasts of the East, which is publishing the same day as Death on the Lanai!

Beasts of the East: The Fall and Rise of America’s Eastern Wilderness is by local author Andrew Moore (who wrote the PawPaw book that we’ve gifted more than any other book in the past few years)

Beasts of the East is getting some exciting early buzz, and Andy will be doing local events at White Whale and Woolly Bear—the environmental journalist: staying on brand with animal-named bookstores!

You can also connect with him on Instagram.

That’s it for us for now! We hope you’ll preorder a copy of Rachel and Andy’s new books from your favorite local indie, and that we’ll see you out at one of Rachel’s local events!

Your friends,

Nick and Rachel

P.S. If you’re looking for something for your teen to read this summer, may I suggest Nothing Bad Happens Here? BookBub named it a “Best New YA” when it came out and it’s available in paperback, ebook, and audio anywhere books are sold!

Paging all book lovers! Pgh Book Fest is back for its fifth year on May 30 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – Main in Oakland. Hear from authors of a variety of genres including romance, horror, and mystery – and even a few niche favorites like contemporary gothic and cozy fantasy. Plus, readers of all ages can experience poetry readings, workshops, book signings, literary exhibitors and vendors, and much more.

Learn More About Our Authors

From programs highlighting suspenseful thrillers to Yinzer history, there’s a pathway for nearly every kind of reader at the Festival.

Check Out More of Our Pathways

FREE registration is available to save your seat at the sessions you’re most excited for before you even step foot on the Festival grounds.

Registration is not available for poetry readings.

Register Now

For Festival updates, follow Pgh Book Fest on Facebook and Instagram @pghbookfest, or visit pghbookfest.org.

This email sponsored by our friends at Pgh Book Fest.

WCoNA Writers Conference of Northern Appalachia® Announces Seventh Regional Writers Event at St. Francis University, March 6-7

Author and Poet Todd Davis, Winner of the Midwest Book Award and the Gwendolyn Brooks Poetry Prize, Keynotes Premier Conference Dedicated to the Region’s Literature

The Writers Conference of Northern Appalachia (WCoNA) returns to Saint Francis University in Loretto, Friday, March 6 through Saturday, March 7. The program features 26 workshops and presentations on topics including AI’s evolving role in creative writing, place, finding inspiration, marketing, Appalachian heritage, character development, and memoir.

More Info

The event, focused on building recognition for the region’s literature and helping its writers hone their craft, kicks off with an open mic and book sale.

A special Friday evening panel features five poets published in Penn State University Press’s Keystone Poetry: Contemporary Poets on Pennsylvania, speaking to how their locales influence their writing.

WCoNA invites participating authors to sign and sell books at the conference’s book sale where attendees can network and build relationships based on their common appreciation for the literature of northern Appalachia.

According to WCoNA founder and president PJ Piccirillo, a novelist from Elk County, writers interpreting life in northern Appalachia have been underrecognized in the canon of Appalachian literature, though the region’s people, places, cultures, and landscapes are as rich as those that have given rise to renowned literary traditions. “Stories, poems, and essays inspired by our experiences deserve to be represented and valued as a body of work,” Piccirillo said. “Our brand is growing among writers, booksellers, agents and, most importantly, readers. In fact, Sunbury Press, which has partnered with WCoNA since its inception, has grown threefold since establishing its Catamount Press imprint, which exclusively publishes literature from this region.

Author and poet Todd Davis, winner of the Midwest Book Award and the Gwendolyn Brooks Poetry Prize, headlines with a Saturday morning keynote.

Registration is open at www.wcona.com with early-bird pricing through February 1. Sponsorships are also available.

WCoNA annually gathers authors and others interested in the region’s literature to honor the writing of northern Appalachia and to enhance the craft of its authors. WCoNA is a catalyst to inspire more novels, poetry, essays, history, memoir, and drama that represent, in some way, northern Appalachia, and so create and promote a canon of writers and literature of the region.

This email generously sponsored by our friends at WCoNA Writers Conference of Northern Appalachia®

• Are you a writer thinking about taking the next step for your writing by applying to MFA programs?

• Are you interested in writing about the confluence of nature, place and human identity?

• Have you ever wondered what it would be like to walk barefoot on the cantilevered terraces of Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural marvel, Fallingwater?

If you answered yes to the above, Chatham University’s MFA program—available in both full and low-residency formats—is the place for you! The Fallingwater Residency in Nature and Place-Based Writing, an experience exclusive to Chatham’s MFA program, was launched in the summer of 2025 in partnership with the Fallingwater Institute and the Western PA Conservancy and is available to current Chatham MFA students, alumni, and community members (as space allows after student registration).

More about Chatham MFA

The experience is one of immersion and community, as residents spend five days living at High Meadow, an educational complex located a short hike from the main house. The stay begins with the signature Fallingwater “silent hike,” and includes time during the day to read, contemplate, and write both communally and individually. Unprecedented private access to the iconic house is available to the group as well as the support of the Fallingwater educational staff. Residents are encouraged to share work during the evenings for feedback and students, upon return to Chatham, produce a polished portfolio of work that explores the experience of the residency and their relationship to the house and its surroundings through poetry, fiction or creative nonfiction. The Fallingwater Residency in Nature and Place-Based writing is offered as an elective course for full and low-residency students every other year.

Program director and professor of creative writing, Sheila Squillante, says she created this special course offering as a way to underscore the program’s traditional emphasis on nature and place-based writing. “Our MFA program was built to pay homage to Chatham’s most famous alumni, microbiologist, author or environmentalist, Rachel Carson, and her ethic of stewardship and care for the natural world. The Fallingwater Residency adds to a slate of MFA courses which contextualize that work for contemporary writers interested in thinking about and caring for our beautiful, fragile world.”

The Fallingwater Residency

Applications to join the fall 2026 cohort are open! Those interested in full-residency funding packages should apply by February 15. Low-residency applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. For more information, please contact Sheila Squillante at SSquillante@chatham.edu.

This email generously sponsored by Chatham University’s MFA Program.

A lot of you who’ve been with us since the beginning know that Littsburgh is a passion project—something we do on the nights and weekends, in the cracks between our day jobs at Courage Literary and writing deadlines (and Nick’s challenges with book banning) . . . and those of you who attended one of Rachel’s book events this spring could probably tell that we’re welcoming our first little Courage into the family, so we’re going to be taking a beat or two to catch our breath before we come back in the fall!

Yours in books,

Nick Courage and Rachel Ekstrom Courage

P.S. Nick won’t be checking or replying to Littsburgh emails again until we’re back in the swing of things . . . but if you need to reach us for other opportunities, the contact forms on the websites linked above—and here’s Katie’s site—go straight to our personal email accounts (and we’re on all the usual social media platforms).

VIEW OUR FULL AUTHOR LINE UP

VIEW OUR FULL POET LINE UP

Seating for author talks, workshops and other programming is limited, so secure your spot by registering for FREE today.

Registration is not available for poetry readings.

REGISTER FOR FESTIVAL PROGRAMMING

Follow the Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books on Facebook and Instagram @pghbookfest, or visit pittsburghbookfestival.org to stay up to date with the latest Festival news!

This email sponsored by our friends at the Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books.

Lots of festivals, submission / grant / award opportunities, and events on the site.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, literary Pittsburgh, for all of your support for Rachel and her books!

Reading in the park,

The Littsburgh Crew

• Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books Opens Registration, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh to Announce Major Literacy Initiative at 2025 Event!

• International Summit on Freedom of Creative Expression Announced for Pittsburgh!

• The Great Pittsburgh Book Crawl (May 10th – 18th)!

• 38th Annual Pennwriters Conference: Thrills, Chills, and Quills! (May 16-18)!

• IGW Genre Conference in Huntington, WV!

• PulpFest Returns to Pittsburgh (August 7-10, 2025)!

• Seton Hill University’s “In Your Write Mind” Workshop (June 26-29, 2025)!

• Applications are now open for Peters Township Public Library’s Read Local Eat Local 2025!

• The City of Pittsburgh and American Rescue Plan Act Support for Artists Grant (Due June 16th)!

• Drue Heinz Literature Prize Open for Submissions (University of Pittsburgh Press – Ends June 30th, 2025)!

• Autumn House Press Poetry Prize: Open for Submissions (Ends June 30, 2025)!

• Northern Appalachia Review: Open to Submissions for Volume 7 Starting April 14th (Closed June 15)!

• Submissions Open: 2025 Bridge Literary Arts Journal (out of Oil City, PA - June 1st Deadline)

• Littsburgh’s Founder, Rachel Ekstrom Courage, on KDKA’s Talk / CBS Pittsburgh!

• United Way volunteers get 35,000 books to kids at annual Big Book Drop!

• Prime Stage Theatre announces 2025-26 season celebrating three world premieres by three local playwrights!

May 10: The Great Pittsburgh Book Crawl (May 10th - 18th) More information

May 10: Eeeek! Creative Company: Book Fair! More information

May 12: Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures: Elizabeth Kolbert In conversation with Terry Tempest Williams More information

May 13: CLP - 30 Books in 30 Minutes More information

May 13: Write Pittsburgh: Self-Editing for Prose Writers More information

May 13: The 2025 HEMINGWAY’S SUMMER POETRY SERIES: Soledad Caballero, Mark Dignam, Jane McCafferty, Joy Priest & Cedric Rudolph More information

May 13: Jazz Poetry 2025: Zara Zaharieva Quartet, Reginald Dwayne Betts, LaTasha N. Nevada Diggs, Volodymyr Rafeyenko, Anouar Rahmani More information

May 14: Craft Talks - WEBINAR | Structure Your Story: How to Keep Readers Hooked From Start to Finish with Heather Sellers More information

May 15: Reading & Conversation: Cory Doctorow, “Picks & Shovels” More information

May 15: Ancestors - A May Poetry Reading with Christine Aikens Wolfe, Vaishali Paliwal, Valerie Bacharach, and Sheila Carter-Jones More information

May 15: Jazz Poetry 2025: House of Waters ft. Priya Darshini, Safia Elhillo, Haleh Liza Gafori, Rania Mamoun, Nathan Osorio More information

May 16: 38th Annual Pennwriters Conference: Thrills, Chills, and Quills! (May 16-18, 2025) More information

May 16: BOOK LAUNCH! Elaine Rusinko, "Andy Warhol's Mother"(w/Stephanie Flom) More information

May 17: Parsec (Pittsburgh's premier SF & Fantasy Org) Event: Professor James Wynn of Carnegie Mellon University More information

May 18: Craft Talks - 8-WEEK WORKSHOP | The Shapes of Stories: Exploring Forms to Find the Right One for Your Story with Nancy McCabe More information

May 19: Scribblehouse's Feedback Open Mic More information

May 20: Understanding Exile: Essential Youth Connections with the LIGHT Education Initiative More information

May 20: The Role of Music, Art & Journalism in Political Dissent More information

May 20: TWIST: Building Empathy Through Literature with Colum McCann More information

May 20: Ocean Vuong, "The Emperor of Gladness" Reading and Conversation More information

May 20: Rachel Gillig - A Book Launch and Author Talk! More information

May 20: Jazz Poetry 2025: Jerome Jennings & iLL Philosophy More information

May 20: Jazz Poetry 2025: Jerome Jennings & iLL Philosophy, Carly Inghram, Montaser Abdel Mawgoud, Bo Mima, Ethan Pullman More information

May 21: Bridges Creative Summit: Welcome Ceremony More information

May 21: Meet the Cities of Asylum Network More information

May 21: Guantánamo: Mohamedou Ould Slahi & Larry Siems in Conversation with Adriana E. Ramirez More information

May 21: Craft Talks - WEBINAR | The Ideal Sentence: Your Voice, Your Tone, Your Pace with Beth Kephart More information

May 21: Colum McCann: An Interview with Bassam Aramin & Rami Elhanan More information

May 21: The Future of Publishing & Literature in Translation More information

May 21: The Freedom of Expression Address by George Packer More information

May 21: Philippe Ollé-Laprune on Mexico’s Casa Refugio More information

May 22: The Future of Philanthropy & Funding for Arts, Culture & Human Rights More information

May 22: Protecting Freedom of Expression with Marianne Borgen, Sara Rose & Larry Siems More information

May 22: Arab Voices in Exile More information

May 22: Translation Slam with Nevine Abraham, Elisabeth Jaquette, Nazeeha Saeed, Huang Xiang & Emcee Michael Reynolds More information

May 22: Pittsburgh's North Side: The people, the places, the stories - Zine launch + art night at MuseumLab! More information

May 22: Aleksandar Hemon: Language, Exile, & The Many Forms of Artistic Expression More information

May 22: Jazz Poetry 2025: James Brandon Lewis Quintet, ft. Chad Taylor, Haile Bizen, Doralee Brooks, Huang Xiang More information

May 23: The Power of Public Art with Rania Mamoun & Diane Samuels More information

May 23: The Big Sampsonia Way Cookout More information

May 23: Frazé-Frazénko & The Happy Lovers More information

May 23: DJ Cielo – Also Known as Award-Winning Novelist, Aleksandar Hemon More information

May 25: Fiddle With Words II: Jan Hamilton & Mike Schneider launch Schneider's "Many Hats" (+ Bob Dylan Birthday Bash) More information

May 26: Reading & Conversation: Sarah Schulman, "The Fantasy and Necessity of Solidarity" More information

May 27: Offsite Event: B. DYLAN HOLLIS "Baking Across America" (w/ Alexander Rigby) More information

May 27: The 2025 HEMINGWAY’S SUMMER POETRY SERIES: Daniela Buccilli, M. Scott Douglass, Marguerite Miller, Ed Simon & Anastasia Walker More information

May 28: Craft Talks - WEBINAR | Writing the Unknown: Imagination, Invention, and the Ethics of Filling in the Blanks with Allison K Williams More information

May 29: Reading & Conversation: KEVIN WILSON, "Run for the Hills" (w/ Patrick McGinty) More information

May 30: Poetry Reading: Jennifer Chang "An Authentic Life", Rosalie Moffet "Making a Living" More information

May 31: Save The Date: Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books Returns on May 31, 2025! More information

May 31: Craft Talks - FREE WEBINAR | From Here to There: Simple Marketing Strategies for Writers Who Feel Stuck with Stephen Knezovich More information

Jun 1: Book Launch: Everyone! In the Dream! Is You! (A short story collection exploring toxic masculinity) by Adam Dove More information

Jun 1: The Poetry Atelier More information

Jun 4: 🎥 “Perseverance” Screening + Q&A (with Lee Goldman Kikel, filmmaker Scot Rutledge, and the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh) More information

Jun 4: Reading & Conversation! Ruthie Ackerman, "The Mother Code" w/ Courtney Balestier More information

Jun 6: Craig Johnson is coming to Mystery Lovers! More information

Jun 6: meTamorphosis x W.J. Lofton, "boy maybe," with Dior J. Stephens More information

Jun 7: Craft Talks - 2-DAY SEMINAR | The Quest for Clarity: The Blueprint Method to Structure Your Nonfiction Book with Amy Bernstein More information

Jun 10: The 2025 HEMINGWAY’S SUMMER POETRY SERIES: Laurie Anderson, Joy Katz, Jill Khoury, Judith Sanders, Justin Vicari More information

Jun 10: BOOK LAUNCH! Katie Chandler, "Backhanded Compliments" (w/ Amanda Quain) More information

Jun 12: An Evening with Author James Rosenberg (Fatal Reunion) More information

Jun 22: PGHwrites: Marcus Rediker “Freedom Ship” (Book Launch) More information

Jun 24: The 2025 HEMINGWAY’S SUMMER POETRY SERIES: Sharon Dilworth, Yvonne McBride, Ellen McGrath Smith, Dave Housley, Marcel Lamont Walker More information

Jun 26: Seton Hill University's "In Your Write Mind" Workshop (June 26-29, 2025) More information

When we were on the road for book events this week, we found out that Rachel’s latest book hit the American Booksellers Association Indie Bestseller list, the USA Today bestseller list, the Publishers Weekly bestseller list, and that it’s an instant New York Times bestseller (debuting at #9 on the Paperback list, right next to A Court of Throne and Roses)!

Rachel co-founded Littsburgh in 2015 to celebrate literary Pittsburgh (a place she’s always championed as one the world’s most literary cities) and she’s been working behind the scenes in publishing for most of her career, first as a bookseller, then a publicist, and now as a literary agent . . . and we’re just so happy for her!

We’re going to be at Penguin Bookshop for an event this Saturday, April 26th (tomorrow—which is also Independent Bookstore Day!) at 5PM at if you’d like to help us celebrate :) She’ll be sharing cheesecake and signing books, while supplies last!

More Info + Free RSVP

We’ll also be stopping by City Books’ Independent Bookstore Day celebration from 12 to 1 pm (tomorrow, April 26th) with a limited amount of books and book plates to sign just in case we run out.

If you’re looking for gifts: a personalized copy of Murder by Cheesecake: A Golden Girls Cozy Mystery is the perfect Mother’s Day present!

Joyful Chaos with Rachel Ekstrom Courage

Joyful chaos in your inbox from author and literary agent Rachel Ekstrom Courage.

If you’d like to read more about Rachel and her books, you can subscribe to her personal Substack (Joyful Chaos) here and check out her website: www.rachelekstromcourage.com

Happy independent bookstore day tomorrow…

And THANK YOU for all the support :)

- Nick Courage

Meet Littsburgh’s Rachel Ekstrom Courage!

“Local author Rachel Ekstrom Courage will be joining us at the shop for an evening celebrating the launch of her book Murder by Cheesecake: A Golden Girls Cozy Mystery. Rachel will chat with us about the book, answer questions from the audience, and sign copies for customers. There will be no murders at this event, but there will be cheesecake! Free RSVP using the link on the event page.”

Free RSVP

TL;DR: Free with RSVP, one of Rachel’s few local events, we’d love to see you!

The first novel in the all-new Golden Girls Cozy Mystery Series!

“Reader, Murder by Cheesecake is the real deal. It takes guts and serious talent to write jokes worthy of Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia, and author Rachel Ekstrom Courage has the goods. She nails the voices, character nuances, and humor of our beloved foursome…”—Audible (Editors Select: April 2025)

“Murder by Cheesecake is a nostalgic, fast-paced and hilarious escape. An absolute delight!” —Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling author of Love and Other Words

“If you were a big fan of The Golden Girls, as I was, you’ll relish this chance to join them again for this lighthearted caper.” —Rhys Bowen, New York Times bestselling author of The Tuscan Child

“Murder by Cheesecake shows the Golden Girls at their best: being true friends—and having fun at any age!” —Nancy Martin, bestselling author of Some Like It Lethal

“It’s murder most witty as the Golden Girls sleuth, spar and support one another in their irrepressible style. This escape to 80’s Miami, complete with teal, coral, breezy palms and shoulder pads, contains more red herrings than a St. Olaf wedding. Will young love triumph? Will justice be served, Everglades-style? Will Sophia take off her compression hose? You’ll love—and laugh at—every page-turning moment.” —Julia Spencer-Fleming, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of At Midnight Comes the Cry

“Literary agent Courage (Nothing Bad Happens Here) kicks off a new series with this breezy whodunit featuring characters from The Golden Girls […] Courage splendidly captures the voices and mannerisms of her much-loved characters, and wisely resists the impulse to modernize the show’s 1980s Miami setting. For Golden Girls fans, this is a nostalgic delight.” —Publishers Weekly

“Did you ever watch The Golden Girls and wish they were solving murders? Your wish has been granted!”—Book Riot

“The Golden Girls—Dorothy, Blanche, Rose, and Sophia—live again in this sparkling cozy [….] Humor, plot twists, convincing portrayals of the Golden Girls, and the Miami setting add up to a satisfying cozy that will be relished by Golden Girls fans.” —Booklist

P.S. Librarians, Murder by Cheesecake was a LibraryReads Top 10 pick for April!

For more about Rachel and her books, visit www.RachelEkstromCourage.com.

And a special shout-out to Pittsburgh’s Autumn House Press for winning the AWP Small Press Publisher Award!

This and more below…

Yours in books,

The Littsburgh Crew

P.S. Littsburgh is a reader-supported effort, and you can help us keep Littsburgh going and growing by pledging your support (and becoming a free or paid subscriber)!

• International Summit on Freedom of Creative Expression Announced for Pittsburgh!
  Bridges – City of Asylum Pittsburgh Creative Summit invites all those who enjoy the beauty of free expression to four days of critical discussions about the literary arts, the power of music, exile, translation, community building, and the future of philanthropy. Through conversations with award-winning authors, captivating performances, and impactful panels with artistic and literary leaders from around the world, we’ll explore and celebrate global creative expression and solidarity. Featuring: George Packer, Colum McCann, Aleksandar Hemon and more!
  

• Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books Announces New Venue at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s Main Branch!

  “The Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books will turn a new page this year, with an exciting change of venue to Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s historic Main library in Oakland for its fourth annual Festival on May 31, 2025. The location change marks a poignant moment in Pittsburgh’s literary history…”
  

• The Great Pittsburgh Book Crawl (May 10th – 18th)
  “The first annual Great Pittsburgh Book Crawl will be happening May 10 – 18, 2025. The crawl will cover nine days and over a dozen of your favorite local indie bookstores in the greater Pittsburgh region!”
  

• 38th Annual Pennwriters Conference: Thrills, Chills, and Quills! (May 16-18)
  “The 38th Annual Pennwriters Conference is coming your way! Registration is now open for the three-day conference at the Pittsburgh Airport Marriott (and for the intensives held the day before the conference).”
  

• PulpFest Returns to Pittsburgh (August 7-10, 2025)!
  For over 50 years, PulpFest has celebrated mystery, adventure, science fiction, and other popular fiction. The pulp magazines of the early twentieth century — cheaply-priced all-fiction magazines printed on pulpwood paper — were the vessel where the hardboiled detective, science fiction, and sword and sorcery genres developed and flourished…

• Tuesday, April 3rd - I Cannot Forget Where It Is That I Come From: Award-winning authors to talk about growing up in Trafford and Irwin and how small-town hometowns influenced their work and lives…

• Interview: Will Bardenwerper (author of Homestand: Small Town Baseball and the Fight for the Soul of America)!
  “Will Bardenwerper’s Homestand isn’t just a great baseball story, but a sensitive and searching look at the ways Americans have built up community, as well as the forces that tear it down. In one small town, he finds a potent symbol for the state of American civic life, and a guide to how we might protect it.” —Phil Klay, award-winning author of Redeployment and Uncertain Ground: Citizenship in an Age of Endless, Invisible War

  

• Interview: Marie Benedict with co-author Courtney Sheinmel (The Secrets of Lovelace Academy)!
  “From New York Times bestselling author Marie Benedict and Courtney Sheinmel comes a historical adventure about a young girl plucked from a London orphanage to begin attending a boarding school with more secrets than she could imagine—perfect for fans of Enola Holmes…”
  
  Don’t miss out: Marie Benedict and Courtney Sheinmel will be visiting Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures on Tuesday, April 22nd at 7pm!
  

• Excerpt and Interview: Nancy McCabe (author of Fires Burning Underground)
  “In a year of turmoil and transition, with a new awareness of loss after the death of a friend, Anny struggles to find meaning in tragedy, to come to terms with her questions about her sexuality, and to figure out how to negotiate her own ever-shifting new friendships. And when her oldest friend’s life is in danger, she must summon up her wits, imagination, and the ghosts that haunt her to save them both…”
  

• Start Reading Home Leave by Rebecca Jung…
  “In 1958, a midwestern family was uprooted from Canton, Ohio to Bukavu in the Belgian Congo during the Congolese War for Independence. This was the author’s introduction to life as an Expat. She was seven years old […] In the spirit of Alexandra Fuller’s Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight, Home Leave is about war and political upheavals. But it’s also about how people don’t lose their humanity in brutal settings where everyone is scrambling to survive.
  
  Don’t miss out: The Home Leave Launch Party will be on Monday, April 7 at 6 p.m. at Park Place Pub. Free and open to everyone!
  

• Three Poems from Letters to My Younger Self by Shaheen Dil
  “you hear the rhythm of your feet
  stamping across the stage
  the scent of marigolds scattering
  from your hair”
  
  Don’t miss out: Shaheen Dil will be celebrating the launch of her new poetry collection with three fellow poets (Robert Walacki, Judith Sanders, and Sharon Fagan McDermott) at Riverstone Books in Squirrel Hill at 7pm on April 24th.

Apr 1: Story Club PGH Presents: Story Slam! (Second Chances) More information

Apr 2: CRAFT TALKS | Writing the Taboo in Memoir: Bring Your Most Vulnerable Stories to Life with Katie Bannon More information

Apr 2: 2024 Patricia Dobler Poetry Award Reading: Jan Beatty and Andrea England! More information

Apr 3: CLP Spotlight: Three Rivers Waterkeeper presents What’s in Pittsburgh’s Rivers? More information

Apr 3: I Cannot Forget Where It Is That I Come From: Award-Winning Authors to Talk About Growing Up in Trafford and Irwin and How Small-Town Hometowns Influenced Their Work and Lives More information

Apr 4: Reading & Conversation! Abolish Rent by Tracy Rosenthal, with Pittsburgh Human Right City Alliance & Pittsburgh Housing Summit More information

Apr 5: CRAFT TALKS | SEMINAR | Deep Characterization for Fiction: Uncovering Secrets, Relationships and Your Character’s Inner Life with Britta Jensen More information

Apr 5: Join us for the Spring Local Author Fair! @ South Fayette Municipal Center More information

Apr 5: Write Pittsburgh: Flash Fiction Writing (April 5 and 12) More information

Apr 5: Opening: CORE SAMPLE - Liz Rudnick @ Bottom Feeder Books More information

Apr 6: World Literature: Sulaiman Addonia (Eritrea, Ethiopia, Britain) “The Seers” More information

Apr 6: The Poetry Atelier More information

Apr 6: Cookbook Club at Stay Gold Books: Flavorama by Arielle Johnson! More information

Apr 7: Launch Party: Home Leave by Rebecca Jung! More information

Apr 7: Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures: Leif Enger More information

Apr 8: CLP - Vivian Ann Davidson Hewitt Lecture with Kelvin Watson More information

Apr 8: A Book Launch for Rosalind Chow in Conversation with Evan Frazier More information

Apr 8: PGHwrites: Free Association Reading Series More information

Apr 9: CRAFT TALKS | The Dreaded Comp Titles: A Necessary Evil That Can Launch Your Career with Amy Collins More information

Apr 9: Reading & Conversation! Peter Trachtenberg, Twilight of Bohemia More information

Apr 9: Nancy Drew: The History Behind the Mystery More information

Apr 10: An Evening with Author Stentor Danielson (Pittsburgh in 50 Maps) More information

Apr 11: Graduation Reading for Third Year Pitt MFA students @ White Whale More information

Apr 12: The Height of Land Book Launch & Post-Post-Apocalyptic Party! More information

Apr 12: CRAFT TALKS | 6-Week Course | Zero to Chapbook: Fast Draft Your Micro Essay Collection with Darien Hsu Gee More information

Apr 13: Quiet Reading Party: Spring into Reading @ CLP - Main More information

Apr 15: International Poetry Forum Presents: Srikanth Reddy More information

Apr 15: Book Launch! An Evening with Jessica Merchant More information

Apr 17: Appalachian Writer Series: Placed-Based Writing with Nancy Caronia! More information

Apr 17: An Evening with Author John Pistelli (Major Arcana) More information

Apr 19: An Afternoon with Author Brenda Tate (Journal of a Black Woman in Blue) More information

Apr 19: Pittsburgh Poetry Exchange Presents: A Spring Fling - "Death, Sex, and the Zeitgeist" (Featuring Mary Tisera, Dieter Weslowski, and Michael Wurster) More information

Apr 19: Reading & Conversation! "Ditch Memory" by Todd Davis w/ Ryan Walsh More information

Apr 22: Write Pittsburgh: Self-Editing for Prose Writers More information

Apr 22: Open Mic Night! READ THE ROOM, Organized by Ryan Chavara and Kelsey Swintek More information

Apr 24: CLP - Jane Addams Peace Association Annual Children’s Book Award Ceremony More information

Apr 24: Book Launch for Shaheen Dil (with Poetry Readings by Robert Walacki, Judith Sanders, and Sharon Fagan McDermott) More information

Apr 25: Woolly Bear Books and Gifts: Friday Preview with EJ Post! More information

Apr 26: Mini Litfest: The Bridge Literary Arts Center (Oil City, PA) More information

Apr 26: Pittsburgh Writer's Conference @ South Fayette Township Library! More information

Apr 26: Galleria Book Show + Call for Authors! (Galleria of Mt. Lebanon) More information

Apr 26: ⭐️ Book Launch: An Evening with Littsburgh's Rachel Ekstrom Courage (author of Murder by Cheesecake: A Golden Girls Cozy Mystery)! More information

Apr 27: Write Pittsburgh: Unlocking the Novelist Within - From Journals to Stories (April 27 - May 18) More information

Apr 28: The Vanished Kingdom Book Launch with Jonathan Auxier @ Mystery Lovers More information

Apr 28: Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures: R.F. Kuang More information

Apr 29: Featured - kids event: Max Brallier, "The Last Comics on Earth"! More information

Apr 29: Write Pittsburgh: Self-Editing for Prose Writers More information

May 3: An Afternoon with Author Jonathan Auxier! More information

May 4: The Poetry Atelier More information

May 5: The Iron Writing Circle Writing Group - May More information

May 5: Prime Stage Theatre presents a staged reading of Freedom House: Giving Life a Second Chance; written by L.E. McCullough, directed by Scott Calhoon More information

May 5: An evening with #1 New York Times bestselling author Rick Atkinson More information

May 6: Write Pittsburgh: Self-Editing for Prose Writers More information

May 6: Story Club PGH Presents: Story Slam! (Lost & Found) More information

May 10: The Great Pittsburgh Book Crawl (May 10th - 18th) More information

May 10: Eeeek! Creative Company: Book Fair! More information

May 12: Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures: Elizabeth Kolbert In conversation with Terry Tempest Williams More information

May 13: CLP - 30 Books in 30 Minutes More information

May 13: Write Pittsburgh: Self-Editing for Prose Writers More information

May 13: The 2025 HEMINGWAY’S SUMMER POETRY SERIES: Soledad Caballero, Mark Dignam, Jane McCafferty, Joy Priest & Cedric Rudolph More information

May 15: Reading & Conversation: Cory Doctorow, “Picks & Shovels” More information

May 16: 38th Annual Pennwriters Conference: Thrills, Chills, and Quills! (May 16-18, 2025) More information

May 20: Understanding Exile: Essential Youth Connections with the LIGHT Education Initiative More information

May 20: The Role of Music, Art & Journalism in Political Dissent More information

May 20: TWIST: Building Empathy Through Literature with Colum McCann More information

May 20: Ocean Vuong, "The Emperor of Gladness" Reading and Conversation More information

May 20: Rachel Gillig - A Book Launch and Author Talk! More information

May 20: Jazz Poetry 2025: Jerome Jennings & iLL Philosophy More information

May 21: Bridges Creative Summit: Welcome Ceremony More information

May 21: Guantánamo: Mohamedou Ould Slahi & Larry Siems in Conversation with Adriana E. Ramirez More information

May 21: Colum McCann: An Interview with Bassam Aramin & Rami Elhanan More information

May 22: Arab Voices in Exile More information

May 26: Reading & Conversation: Sarah Schulman, "The Fantasy and Necessity of Solidarity" More information

More info + RSVP

“A summer in Nantucket brings beauty and tragedy to the surface… Sparkling and seductive, with an eerie undercurrent.” —Kirkus Reviews

“A picture-perfect climax… Plot twists keep the wheels of Courage’s suspenseful debut spinning while the mysterious girl gang and ample romantic frivolities provide the fun.”—Publishers Weekly

“[A] spellbinding blend of mystery, thrills, and drama […] rich in character and suspense. This haunting thriller with dynamic, empathetically portrayed characters is both entertaining through its many twists and turns and filled with lessons about trusting intuition.”—Booklist

“You don’t have to be on a beach vacation to enjoy Nothing Bad Happens Here, a summery, smart YA thriller that’s good fun at any time of year.” —Literary Hub

“The perfect summer read! Rich teens beach-partying in glamorous Nantucket . . . and then a murder. Enough mystery, twists, secrets and surprises to keep you reading to the startling finish. Loved it!” —R.L. Stine, author of the Goosebumps series and Fear Street

“Part mystery, part thriller, part deep dive into the heart of a grieving teen, Nothing Bad Happens Here is compelling and vivid and absolutely pitch-perfect! A summer in Nantucket you won’t forget!” —Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Lake House

“Perfect for fans of We Were Liars. You won’t want to miss this tense, twisty, gorgeously written read!” —Kass Morgan, New York Times bestselling author of the series The 100 and The Ravens

“One part fairy tale and one part old-fashioned New England whodunit, with a twist I never saw coming!” —Katie Cotugno, New York Times bestselling author of Liar’s Beach

“Expertly layered twists and the perfect kiss of the supernatural. Thriller fans, rejoice!” —Erin A. Craig, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Thirteenth Child

“A serpentine sea-misted mystery as elegant and bold as a Nantucket sunset. I was fully seduced by Lucia’s dark and stormy summer and could hardly pull myself away. Rachel Ekstrom Courage’s debut is a riveting, graceful high wire act, a delectable and dynamic New England thriller that pulls no punches. It left me utterly breathless.” —Derek Milman, author of A Darker Mischief and Swipe Right for Murder

“An atmospheric thriller where darkness is just beneath the surface.” —Mindy McGinnis, Edgar Award–winning author of A Madness So Discreet and The Female of the Species

“A can’t-put-it-down mystery layered with authentic relationships, sharp class commentary, and touches of magical lore. I absolutely devoured it.” —Jacqueline West, New York Timesbestselling author of Last Things and the Books of Elsewhere series

“[A] smashing suspense debut! A page-turning exploration of the way the truth gets concealed—and the all-too-human and all-too-necessary desire to find the truth at any cost. Sure to be one of the best YA thrillers of the year. Don’t miss it!” —David Bell, New York Times bestselling author of She’s Gone and Nobody Needs to Know

“With twists and turns and a touch of the supernatural, this mysterious teen beach read is a welcome addition to any high school library.” —School Library Journal

Rachel's Website

Yours in books,

The Littsburgh Crew

P.S. Littsburgh is a reader-supported effort, and you can help us keep Littsburgh going and growing by pledging your support (and becoming a free or paid subscriber)!

• Introducing: Woolly Bear Books and Gifts!
  “We are so excited to help spread the word about the excellent Woolly Bear Books and Gifts, which opened on Halloween in 2024 and is already expanding into a new location. Check out our interview with Woolly Bear’s Mike Ploetz, who’s doing something really special in Carnegie, PA…”
  

• Happy 20th Birthday to the Bookstore at Calvary!
  “A light snow fell on January 30, 2005, a typical cold Pittsburgh winter morning. Inside Calvary, the congregation had gathered for a festive coffee hour and reception to celebrate a new and unusual ministry: a bookstore […]”

• Featured Event: City Books Residency Info Sessions!

  “If you have considered applying to the CBWR, or have applied in the past and not been selected, this remote, one-hour information session is the opportunity to learn more about the application process—from best practices to how we evaluate project proposals…”
  

• Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books Announces New Venue at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s Main Branch!

  “The Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books will turn a new page this year, with an exciting change of venue to Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s historic Main library in Oakland for its fourth annual Festival on May 31, 2025. The location change marks a poignant moment in Pittsburgh’s literary history…”
  

• Children’s Book Festival of Johnstown Returns (March 29 – 30)!
  “The festival promises a fun-filled weekend packed with acclaimed children’s authors and illustrators, along with a variety of activities and entertainment designed to inspire and delight children and families of all ages and backgrounds…”

• Start Reading ALL SKATE: True Stories from Middle Life by Lori Jakiela!

  “Tough, searching and funny, these intimate essays find hope even during the worst tribulations of middle age. Lori Jakiela is a fearless writer, trying to make sense of her life and losses while celebrating the world and the people she loves with an indomitable wonder. All Skate is that rare miracle—a book that gives you courage.” —Stewart O’Nan, author of Last Night at the Lobster and Emily, Alone
  

• Announcing Laura Jackson’s Deep & Wild as the 2025 WCONA Writers Conference of Northern Appalachia® Book of the Year!

  “‘We love the way Laura’s work offers a fresh and profoundly personal perspective on life in West Virginia, one that moves beyond limiting stereotypes or easy cliches,’ says Christine Stroud of Autumn House Press…”

• The International Poetry Forum is now on YouTube!

  “We’re happy to share that Pittsburgh’s International Poetry forum is sharing their latest events and performances on YouTube, where you can stream on the go (who doesn’t love poetry in motion?) or from the comfort of your own home…”

• StoryZ Announces its production of Labor’s Martyr: The Story of Joe Hill

  “StoryZ, a Latrobe-based theatre company founded by Artistic Director Dr. Stephen A. Schrum, announces its production of Labor’s Martyr: The Story of Joe Hill… Joe Hill was a Swedish immigrant and itinerant worker who wrote new lyrics to old hymns—like an early 20th century ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic—to spread the word of his union, the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW).”

Mar 21: An Evening with Author Rob King (author of The Door in the Stone, a debut middle grade fantasy) More information

Mar 22: Write Pittsburgh: Risk - How to Share Your Story Without Sacrificing Your Safety More information

Mar 22: An Afternooon with Author Melissa Wiesner More information

Mar 22: TO THE OUTWARD FLOWERING YOU MADE OF ME (Izzy Knapp, Paola Liendo, Marina Avery Robinson and SJ Powell @ Bottom Feeder Books) More information

Mar 23: Featured: City Books Residency Info Session! More information

Mar 23: Liz Milliron Book Launch (in conversation with Annette Dashofy)! More information

Mar 23: World Literature: Yoko Tawada (Japan,Germany) “Suggested in the Stars” More information

Mar 23: Write Pittsburgh: The Sound of Pop Culture in Poetry Writing Workshop More information

Mar 24: Duquesne University's Coffee House Reading Series: Sheila Carter-Jones and Jane McCafferty! More information

Mar 24: Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures: Percival Everett More information

Mar 25: Write Pittsburgh: Writing for Children - From Manuscript to Published Book More information

Mar 25: Virtual Event: Kionna Walker LeMalle, "Behind the Waterline," in convo w/ Deesha Philyaw More information

Mar 26: Featured: City Books Residency Info Session! More information

Mar 27: CRAFT TALKS | 6-Week Course | Finding and Telling Your Personal Story: A Crash Course in Writing Memoir and Essays with Ethan Gilsdorf More information

Mar 27: Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures (New & Noted): Steve Inskeep, author of Differ We Must More information

Mar 27: An Evening with Will Bardenwerper (Homestand: Small Town Baseball and the Fight for the Soul of America) More information

Mar 28: meTamorphosis: a queer and trans led reading series More information

Mar 29: Children's Book Festival of Johnstown (March 29 - 30) More information

Mar 29: United Black Book Clubs of Pittsburgh: The Women Gather II More information

Mar 29: An Afternoon with Author Rachel Ekstrom Courage! More information

Mar 30: An Afternoon with Author Deborah Dwork in Conversation with Emily Loeb More information

Mar 30: World Literature: Marcia Douglas (UK, Jamaica), “The Jamaica Kollection of the Shante Dream Arkive” More information

Mar 31: The Iron Writing Circle Writing Group - April More information

Apr 1: Story Club PGH Presents: Story Slam! (Second Chances) More information

Apr 2: CRAFT TALKS | Writing the Taboo in Memoir: Bring Your Most Vulnerable Stories to Life with Katie Bannon More information

Apr 2: 2024 Patricia Dobler Poetry Award Reading: Jan Beatty and Andrea England! More information

Apr 4: Reading & Conversation! Abolish Rent by Tracy Rosenthal, with Pittsburgh Human Right City Alliance & Pittsburgh Housing Summit More information

Apr 5: CRAFT TALKS | SEMINAR | Deep Characterization for Fiction: Uncovering Secrets, Relationships and Your Character’s Inner Life with Britt Jensen More information

Apr 5: Join us for the Spring Local Author Fair! @ South Fayette Municipal Center More information

Apr 5: Write Pittsburgh: Flash Fiction Writing (April 5 and 12) More information

Apr 6: World Literature: Sulaiman Addonia (Eritrea, Ethiopia, Britain) “The Seers” More information

Apr 6: The Poetry Atelier More information

Apr 7: Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures: Leif Enger More information

Apr 8: CLP - Vivian Ann Davidson Hewitt Lecture with Kelvin Watson More information

Apr 8: A Book Launch for Rosalind Chow in Conversation with Evan Frazier More information

Apr 8: PGHwrites: Free Association Reading Series More information

Apr 9: CRAFT TALKS | The Dreaded Comp Titles: A Necessary Evil That Can Launch Your Career with Amy Collins More information

Apr 9: Reading & Conversation! Peter Trachtenberg, Twilight of Bohemia More information

Apr 9: Nancy Drew: The History Behind the Mystery More information

Apr 10: An Evening with Author Stentor Danielson (Pittsburgh in 50 Maps) More information

Apr 11: Graduation Reading for Third Year Pitt MFA students @ White Whale More information

Apr 12: The Height of Land Book Launch & Post-Post-Apocalyptic Party! More information

Apr 12: CRAFT TALKS | 6-Week Course | Zero to Chapbook: Fast Draft Your Micro Essay Collection with Darien Hsu Gee More information

Apr 13: Quiet Reading Party: Spring into Reading @ CLP - Main More information

Apr 15: International Poetry Forum Presents: Srikanth Reddy More information

Apr 15: Book Launch! An Evening with Jessica Merchant More information

Apr 17: Appalachian Writer Series: Place-Based Writing with Nancy Caronia! More information

Apr 17: An Evening with Author John Pistelli (Major Arcana) More information

Apr 19: Pittsburgh Poetry Exchange Presents: A Spring Fling - "Death, Sex, and the Zeitgeist" (Featuring Mary Tisera, Dieter Weslowski, and Michael Wurster) More information

Apr 19: Reading & Conversation! "Ditch Memory" by Todd Davis w/ Ryan Walsh More information

Apr 22: Write Pittsburgh: Self-Editing for Prose Writers More information

Apr 22: Open Mic Night! READ THE ROOM, Organized by Ryan Chavara and Kelsey Swintek More information

Apr 24: CLP - Jane Addams Peace Association Annual Children’s Book Award Ceremony More information

Apr 24: Book Launch for Shaheen Dil (with Poetry Readings by Robert Walacki, Judith Sanders, and Sharon Fagan McDermott) More information

Apr 25: Woolly Bear Books and Gifts: Friday Preview with EJ Post! More information

Apr 26: Mini Litfest: The Bridge Literary Arts Center (Oil City, PA) More information

Apr 26: Pittsburgh Writer's Conference @ South Fayette Township Library! More information

Apr 26: Galleria Book Show + Call for Authors! (Galleria of Mt. Lebanon) More information

Apr 26: ⭐️ Book Launch: An Evening with Littsburgh's Rachel Ekstrom Courage (author of Murder by Cheesecake: A Golden Girls Cozy Mystery)! More information

Apr 27: Write Pittsburgh: Unlocking the Novelist Within - From Journals to Stories (April 27 - May 18) More information

Apr 28: Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures: R.F. Kuang More information

Apr 29: Write Pittsburgh: Self-Editing for Prose Writers More information

And we finally have an answer for both!

Free RSVP!

The first of our co-founder Rachel Ekstrom Courage’s local book launches is at Riverstone Books in Squirrel Hill on Saturday, March 29th at 2:00pm. Nick (who answers the emails) has already RSVP’d “yes,” and we would LOVE to see you there for a Nantucket beach party-themed author talk and meet-and-greet!

A little bit more about Nothing Bad Happens Here:

“A summer in Nantucket brings beauty and tragedy to the surface… Sparkling and seductive, with an eerie undercurrent.” —Kirkus Reviews

“A picture-perfect climax… Plot twists keep the wheels of Courage’s suspenseful debut spinning while the mysterious girl gang and ample romantic frivolities provide the fun.” —Publishers Weekly

“The perfect summer read! Rich teens beach-partying in glamorous Nantucket . . . and then a murder. Enough mystery, twists, secrets and surprises to keep you reading to the startling finish. Loved it!” —R.L. Stine, author of the Goosebumps series and Fear Street

“Part mystery, part thriller, part deep dive into the heart of a grieving teen, Nothing Bad Happens Here is compelling and vivid and absolutely pitch-perfect! A summer in Nantucket you won’t forget!” —Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Lake House

“Perfect for fans of We Were Liars. You won’t want to miss this tense, twisty, gorgeously written read!” —Kass Morgan, New York Times bestselling author of the series The 100 and The Ravens

“One part fairy tale and one part old-fashioned New England whodunit, with a twist I never saw coming!” —Katie Cotugno, New York Times bestselling author of Liar’s Beach

“Expertly layered twists and the perfect kiss of the supernatural. Thriller fans, rejoice!” —Erin A. Craig, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Thirteenth Child

"[A] spellbinding blend of mystery, thrills, and drama [...] rich in character and suspense. This haunting thriller with dynamic, empathetically portrayed characters is both entertaining through its many twists and turns and filled with lessons about trusting intuition." —Booklist

“A serpentine sea-misted mystery as elegant and bold as a Nantucket sunset. I was fully seduced by Lucia’s dark and stormy summer and could hardly pull myself away. Rachel Ekstrom Courage’s debut is a riveting, graceful high wire act, a delectable and dynamic New England thriller that pulls no punches. It left me utterly breathless.” —Derek Milman, author of A Darker Mischief and Swipe Right for Murder

“An atmospheric thriller where darkness is just beneath the surface.” —Mindy McGinnis, Edgar Award–winning author of A Madness So Discreet and The Female of the Species

“A can’t-put-it-down mystery layered with authentic relationships, sharp class commentary, and touches of magical lore. I absolutely devoured it.” —Jacqueline West, New York Times bestselling author of Last Things and the Books of Elsewhere series

“[A] smashing suspense debut! A page-turning exploration of the way the truth gets concealed—and the all-too-human and all-too-necessary desire to find the truth at any cost. Sure to be one of the best YA thrillers of the year. Don’t miss it!” —David Bell, New York Times bestselling author of She’s Gone and Nobody Needs to Know

More info...

Hope to see you soon!

The Littsburgh Crew

We’ll be sending out more information about those parties soon—but we’re hoping they can be IRL Littsburgh meet-ups. . . so if you’re in town, we hope we’ll see you there (both events—linked above—are free to RSVP)!

Hang out with Littsburgh!

Much more below…

Yours in books,

The Littsburgh Crew

P.S. Littsburgh is a reader-supported effort, and you can help us keep Littsburgh going and growing by pledging your support (and becoming a free or paid subscriber)!

• Submissions Open: 2025 Bridge Literary Arts Journal (out of Oil City, PA)!
  “We believe that art brings people together. The Bridge Literary Arts Center is dedicated to the prosperity of literature, language, and art in the greater western Pennsylvania region…”

• Call for Proposals: The Writers Association of Northern Appalachia (WANA)
  “The Writers Association of Northern Appalachia (WANA) will host its fall conference September 19-20 at the Scottish Rite Cathedral in Wheeling, West Virginia, featuring Pittsburgh’s punk rock poet, Jan Beatty, live music with Sue Powers and Jeff Berman (from Devilish Merry), and a performance by the Women of Appalachia.”

• The Great Pittsburgh Book Crawl (May 10th – 18th)
  “The first annual Great Pittsburgh Book Crawl will be happening May 10 – 18, 2025. The crawl will cover nine days and over a dozen of your favorite local indie bookstores in the greater Pittsburgh region!”

• An Interview with Cori Wamsley (author of Good in Theory)!
  “I want the reader to believe in magic and the unknown and to stop white knuckling things that they feel they need to control, especially those that they can’t. It’s a hard lesson for Lacey, and for most of us, but if we can step back and just maintain control over what we actually have the ability to control, I think we will all be happier…”

Feb 27: Write Pittsburgh: Get Started! - Developing a Writing Practice More information

Feb 28: Feb 28 - March 9: Prime Stage Theatre Presents Two Holocaust Plays of Hope and Healing (I Never Saw Another Butterfly and The Terezin Promise) More information

Feb 28: meTamorphosis: a queer and trans led reading series More information

Mar 1: Fantasy & Sci-Fi Author Panel @ Peters Township Public Library, Featuring: Joshua David Bellin, Frederic S. Durbin, J.V. Hilliard, Larry Ivkovich, and Jamie Lackey! More information

Mar 1: 2 Years of Exhibitions at Bottom Feeder Books (March 1st Reception, On View Through March 29th) More information

Mar 1: CRAFT TALKS | 2-DAY SEMINAR | Speculative Memoir Magic: Reclaiming Your Memoir’s Power through Speculative Elements with Laraine Herring More information

Mar 1: An Afternoon with Frederick Joseph More information

Mar 1: An Evening with Rita Wilson (When the Only Light is the Moon) More information

Mar 2: The Poetry Atelier More information

Mar 2: Stay Gold Cookbook Club-March “Belly Full” More information

Mar 3: The Iron Writing Circle Writing Group - March More information

Mar 3: "How to Talk to Booksellers" Webinar with Jessica Whipple! More information

Mar 3: The Iron Writing Circle Writing Group - March More information

Mar 3: Carnegie Library - Annual Public Meeting 2025! More information

Mar 3: Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures: Cat Bohannon More information

Mar 4: Write Pittsburgh: Writing for Children: Picture Books (March 4 - 18) More information

Mar 4: BOOK LAUNCH! John Miller, "The Last Manager" (w/ Jonathan Mayo) More information

Mar 4: Story Club PGH Presents: Story Slam! (Reckless Choices) More information

Mar 5: CRAFT TALKS | From Lit Mags to Book Deals: Publishing Your Collection with a Small Press with Bethany Jarmul More information

Mar 6: Socially Engaged Writing Workshops with Sarah Shotland More information

Mar 6: Write Pittsburgh: Intro to Poetry (March 6 - 27) More information

Mar 7: Bonfire Reading Series: Annual Open Stage! More information

Mar 7: An Evening with Jared Lemus in Conversation with Brian Broome More information

Mar 8: Write Pittsburgh: Memoirs - Writing the Truth, Even When It Hurts More information

Mar 8: Poetry Book Launch: Maidenhair by Joel Clove! More information

Mar 9: Why, Mommy? Why? Event with Tamara Girardi @ Mystery Lovers More information

Mar 9: Poetry Reading, Book Launch & Party at Big Idea Books: Lauren Shapiro, Edith Adams, and Laura Cesarco Eglin More information

Mar 10: An Evening with Author Bruce Cameron ( #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of A Dog's Purpose) More information

Mar 11: Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures (Made Local): Michael E. Sawyer, author of Sir Lewis More information

Mar 12: CRAFT TALKS | Tell Not Show: Why (and How!) to Use The Reflective Voice with Ethan Gilsdorf More information

Mar 13: Hope in the Dark Book Club @ Stay Gold Books More information

Mar 13: Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures: Traci Sorell! More information

Mar 15: An Afternoon with Author Illah Nourbakshs in Conversation with Monica Ruiz More information

Mar 16: An In-Store Signing with Alton Brown More information

Mar 16: Write Pittsburgh: Turning Pain into Prose - Writing Again After Trauma (March 16 - April 6) More information

Mar 16: Write Pittsburgh: The Sound of Pop Culture in Poetry Writing Workshop More information

Mar 18: PGHwrites: Free Association Reading Series More information

Mar 18: Open Mic Night! READ THE ROOM, Organized by Ryan Chavara and Kelsey Swintek More information

Mar 20: Envisioning a Just Pittsburgh Closing Reception: Poetry Slam More information

Mar 20: Appalachian Writers Series Featuring Linda Schifino and Michael Lockett! More information

Mar 21: An Evening with Author Rob King (author of The Door in the Stone, a debut middle grade fantasy) More information

Mar 22: Write Pittsburgh: Risk - How to Share Your Story Without Sacrificing Your Safety More information

Mar 22: An Afternooon with Author Melissa Wiesner More information

Mar 23: Write Pittsburgh: The Sound of Pop Culture in Poetry Writing Workshop More information

Mar 24: Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures: Percival Everett More information

Mar 25: Write Pittsburgh: Writing for Children - From Manuscript to Published Book More information

Mar 27: CRAFT TALKS | 6-Week Course | Finding and Telling Your Personal Story: A Crash Course in Writing Memoir and Essays with Ethan Gilsdorf More information

Mar 27: Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures (New & Noted): Steve Inskeep, author of Differ We Must More information

Mar 27: An Evening with Will Bardenwerper (Homestand: Small Town Baseball and the Fight for the Soul of America) More information

Mar 28: meTamorphosis: a queer and trans led reading series More information

Mar 29: CLP presents: Homestead Cemetery Stories Behind the Stones More information

Mar 29: FEATURED: An Afternoon with Author Rachel Ekstrom Courage! More information

Mar 30: An Afternoon with Author Deborah Dwork in Conversation with Emily Loeb More information

Mar 30: World Literature: Marcia Douglas (UK, Jamaica), “The Jamaica Kollection of the Shante Dream Arkive” More information

Mar 31: The Iron Writing Circle Writing Group - April More information

Apr 1: Story Club PGH Presents: Story Slam! (Second Chances) More information

Apr 2: 2024 Patricia Dobler Poetry Award Reading: Jan Beatty and Andrea England! More information

Apr 3: CLP Spotlight: Three Rivers Waterkeeper presents What’s in Pittsburgh’s Rivers? More information

Apr 4: Reading & Conversation! Abolish Rent by Tracy Rosenthal, with Pittsburgh Human Right City Alliance & Pittsburgh Housing Summit More information

Apr 5: CRAFT TALKS | SEMINAR | Deep Characterization for Fiction: Uncovering Secrets, Relationships and Your Character’s Inner Life with Britta Jensen More information

Apr 5: Join us for the Spring Local Author Fair! @ South Fayette Municipal Center More information

Apr 5: Write Pittsburgh: Flash Fiction Writing (April 5 and 12) More information

Apr 6: The Poetry Atelier More information

Apr 7: Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures: Leif Enger More information

Apr 8: CLP - Vivian Ann Davidson Hewitt Lecture with Kelvin Watson More information

Apr 8: A Book Launch for Rosalind Chow in Conversation with Evan Frazier More information

Apr 9: Reading & Conversation! Peter Trachtenberg, Twilight of Bohemia More information

Apr 11: Graduation Reading for Third Year Pitt MFA students @ White Whale More information

Apr 12: The Height of Land Book Launch & Post-Post-Apocalyptic Party! More information

Apr 12: CRAFT TALKS | 6-Week Course | Zero to Chapbook: Fast Draft Your Micro Essay Collection with Darien Hsu Gee More information

Apr 13: Quiet Reading Party: Spring into Reading @ CLP - Main More information

Apr 15: Book Launch! An Evening with Jessica Merchant More information

Apr 22: Write Pittsburgh: Self-Editing for Prose Writers More information

Apr 22: Open Mic Night! READ THE ROOM, Organized by Ryan Chavara and Kelsey Swintek More information

Apr 24: CLP - Jane Addams Peace Association Annual Children’s Book Award Ceremony More information

Apr 26: Mini Litfest: The Bridge Literary Arts Center (Oil City, PA) More information

Apr 26: ⭐️ Book Launch: An Evening with Littsburgh's Rachel Ekstrom Courage (author of Murder by Cheesecake: A Golden Girls Cozy Mystery)! More information

Apr 27: Write Pittsburgh: Unlocking the Novelist Within - From Journals to Stories (April 27 - May 18) More information

More below…

Yours in books,

The Littsburgh Crew

P.S. Littsburgh is a reader-supported effort, and you can help us keep Littsburgh going and growing by pledging your support (and becoming a free or paid subscriber)!

ICYMI: A local author that we excerpted a couple of years ago was featured on the front page of the NYT late last year! Ligonier, represent. You can read an excerpt of A Farm Life: Observations from Fields and Forests right here on Littsburgh.

• WCoNA Writers Conference of Northern Appalachia®2025: Registration Open!
  “Our annual flagship conference, this year featuring keynote speaker Sarah Elaine Smith, poet and author of the acclaimed novel Marilou Is Everywhere. March 7th-8th at Saint Francis University – Loretto, PA”

• 38th Annual Pennwriters Conference: Thrills, Chills, and Quills! (May 16-18)
  “The 38th Annual Pennwriters Conference is coming your way! Registration is now open for the three-day conference at the Pittsburgh Airport Marriott (and for the intensives held the day before the conference).”

• 2025 Parsec Short Story Contest: Open to Submissions (Jan. 1 – Mar. 31, 2025)!
  “The 2025 Parsec Short Story Contest welcomes science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories that include all types of roots: family legends, genetic inheritance, plant-like aliens, root directories, symbiotic mycorrhizal systems...”

• PulpFest Returns to Pittsburgh (August 7-10, 2025)!
  For over 50 years, PulpFest has celebrated mystery, adventure, science fiction, and other popular fiction. The pulp magazines of the early twentieth century — cheaply-priced all-fiction magazines printed on pulpwood paper — were the vessel where the hardboiled detective, science fiction, and sword and sorcery genres developed and flourished…

“Gregg Hurwitz is the author of the New York Times-bestselling Orphan X novels. Critically acclaimed, his novels have been international bestsellers, graced top ten lists, and have been published in thirty-three languages. Additionally, he’s sold scripts to many of the major studios and written, developed, and produced television for various networks. Hurwitz lives in Los Angeles.

Join us for an author event with Gregg Hurwitz in conversation with [Littsburgh’s co-founder] Rachel Ekstrom Courage with a signing to follow.”

Free with RSVP: https://www.carnegielibrary.org/event/an-evening-with-gregg-hurwitz/

The 2025 Book of the Year Shortlist for the WCONA Writers Conference of Northern Appalachia®!

“Through fiction, essays, and poetry, the writers of the 2025 WCoNA Shortlisted titles traverse the mountains, rivers, hollers, and plateaus of northern Appalachia, exploring the tension, diversity, richness, and resilience of our region.”

• Start Reading The Florentine Papers by Pittsburgher Thom Palmer…
  “When The Florentine Papers, by lifelong Pittsburgher Thom Palmer, was originally published in 1991, critics were rapturous. ‘Love, spinach and literary genius are the main ingredients of Thom Palmer’s inspired, lushly written and offbeat debut novel,’ said the Washington Post…”
  

• Start Reading The Shoemaker: A Novel of Generations on the Move (Set in Pittsburgh) by Mark Saba…

  “A beautiful, poetic, ethereal read, The Shoemaker is the story of a great-grandfather and great-grandson connected by blood and by their passion for shoes…”

• Q&A: Dana Griffin (author of Ask the Wide World, illustrated by Alejandro Echavez)!

  “Ask the Wide World is not just a story but a journey of independent thinking and learning. It encourages children to explore, question, and seek answers on their own, instilling a sense of empowerment and inspiration.”—The Children’s Book Review

This is just a sampling of events from Littsburgh’s calendar - for a full listing, visit: https://www.littsburgh.com/local-events/

Feb 15: February 2025 Meeting of Parsec, Pittsburgh's SFF org! More information

Feb 15: Talking Flirty: Romance Authors Tell All @ Northland Public Library! More information

Feb 15: Book Launch: Joshua Zelesnick, "Insert Coin" with Robin Clarke More information

Feb 16: PGHwrites: Doralee Brooks’ The Gulf Tower Forecasts Rain More information

Feb 17: Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures: An Evening with Chris Hayes More information

Feb 18: An Evening with Gregg Hurwitz (with Littsburgh's Rachel Ekstrom Courage)! More information

Feb 18: PGHwrites: Free Association Reading Series More information

Feb 20: Socially Engaged Writing Workshops with Sarah Shotland More information

Feb 20: Poets Aloud: Pádraig Ó Tuama & Philip Metres More information

Feb 20: Write Pittsburgh: Get Started! - Developing a Writing Practice More information

Feb 20: Pittsburgh Ready Literacy Workshops: Race, Reading and Young Children (CLP) More information

Feb 20: Amanda Gross // White Women Get Ready // Reading @ Stay Gold Books More information

Feb 21: Reading: E. Hughes "Ankle-Deep in Pacific Water" (w/ Steffan Triplett) More information

Feb 22: Write Pittsburgh: Say What? Dialogue in Fiction More information

Feb 22: Annual ARC Fundraiser Benefits PEN America @ Mystery Lovers More information

Feb 22: CRAFT TALKS | 2-DAY SEMINAR | Speculative Memoir Magic: Reclaiming Your Memoir’s Power through Speculative Elements with Laraine Herring More information

Feb 22: An Afternoon with Author Marie Benedict More information

Feb 23: Write Pittsburgh: Fiction Critique Group (Feb 23 - March 30) More information

Feb 25: World Literature: Caryl Phillips (Saint Kitts, England) “Another Man in the Street” More information

Feb 25: Sam Kean (NYT bestselling author of The Icepick Surgeon, The Bastard Brigade, The Dueling Neurosurgeons, and The Disappearing Spoon) at Mt. Lebanon Public Library More information

Feb 27: Write Pittsburgh: Get Started! - Developing a Writing Practice More information

Feb 28: Feb 28 - March 9: Prime Stage Theatre Presents Two Holocaust Plays of Hope and Healing (I Never Saw Another Butterfly and The Terezin Promise) More information

Feb 28: meTamorphosis: a queer and trans led reading series More information

Mar 1: Fantasy & Sci-Fi Author Panel @ Peters Township Public Library, Featuring: Joshua David Bellin, Frederic S. Durbin, J.V. Hilliard, Larry Ivkovich, and Jamie Lackey! More information

Mar 1: An Afternoon with Frederick Joseph More information

Mar 2: The Poetry Atelier More information

Mar 3: The Iron Writing Circle Writing Group - March More information

Mar 3: "How to Talk to Booksellers" Webinar with Jessica Whipple! More information

Mar 3: Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures: Cat Bohannon More information

Mar 4: Write Pittsburgh: Writing for Children: Picture Books (March 4 - 18) More information

Mar 5: CRAFT TALKS | From Lit Mags to Book Deals: Publishing Your Collection with a Small Press with Bethany Jarmul More information

Mar 6: Socially Engaged Writing Workshops with Sarah Shotland More information

Mar 7: An Evening with Jared Lemus in Conversation with Brian Broome More information

Mar 8: Write Pittsburgh: Memoirs - Writing the Truth, Even When It Hurts More information

Mar 10: An Evening with Author Bruce Cameron ( #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of A Dog's Purpose) More information

Mar 11: Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures (Made Local): Michael E. Sawyer, author of Sir Lewis More information

Mar 12: CRAFT TALKS | Tell Not Show: Why (and How!) to Use The Reflective Voice with Ethan Gilsdorf More information

Mar 13: Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures: Traci Sorell! More information

Mar 15: An Afternoon with Author Illah Nourbakhsh in Conversation with Monica Ruiz More information

Mar 16: An In-Store Signing with Alton Brown More information

Mar 18: PGHwrites: Free Association Reading Series More information

Mar 24: Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures: Percival Everett More information

Mar 27: Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures (New & Noted): Steve Inskeep, author of Differ We Must More information

Mar 29: FEATURED: An Afternoon with Author Rachel Ekstrom Courage! More information

• If you missed our last email, Pittsburgh is making a bid for UNESCO City of Literature Designation—which is about all the excitement we can handle.

• We have some new more new bookstore news that we’ll be sharing soon (on top of the good news about Stay Gold Books in Regent Square and Woolly Bear Books in Carnegie)…

• Littsburgh’s Founder, Rachel Ekstrom Courage, has two (!) debuts coming out in March and April, and Nothing Bad Happens Here is starting to get some great reviews (Kirkus Reviews called it “sparkling and seductive, with an eerie undercurrent” and Publishers Weekly said it had “A picture-perfect climax… Plot twists keep the wheels of Courage’s suspenseful debut spinning while the mysterious girl gang and ample romantic frivolities provide the fun.”)

• And this is Nick writing this email—I just broke my foot at the dog park so you probably won’t see me around for a couple of months, but I hope you’ll come say “Hi” at Rachel’s Pittsburgh book launches (more on those soon)!

Yours in books,

The Littsburgh Crew

P.S. Littsburgh is a reader-supported effort, and you can help us keep Littsburgh going and growing by pledging your support (and becoming a free or paid subscriber)!

• WCoNA Writers Conference of Northern Appalachia®2025: Registration Open!
  “Our annual flagship conference, this year featuring keynote speaker Sarah Elaine Smith, poet and author of the acclaimed novel Marilou Is Everywhere. March 7th-8th at Saint Francis University – Loretto, PA”

• 2025 Parsec Short Story Contest: Open to Submissions (Jan. 1 – Mar. 31, 2025)!
  “The 2025 Parsec Short Story Contest welcomes science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories that include all types of roots: family legends, genetic inheritance, plant-like aliens, root directories, symbiotic mycorrhizal systems...”

• PulpFest Returns to Pittsburgh (August 7-10, 2025)!
  For over 50 years, PulpFest has celebrated mystery, adventure, science fiction, and other popular fiction. The pulp magazines of the early twentieth century — cheaply-priced all-fiction magazines printed on pulpwood paper — were the vessel where the hardboiled detective, science fiction, and sword and sorcery genres developed and flourished…

• Pittsburgh Poet / Artist Wins International Poetry Competition…
  ”Judith R. Robinson, a Pittsburgh poet and artist, was recently awarded 1st prize for her poem ‘A Stream in Late Autumn’ by the judges for the 35th Annual Reuben Rose Poetry Competition - local reading today, on January 11th!

• Excerpt and Q&A: Richard Gazarik (author of Gun Smuggling, Castro’s Cuba and the Pittsburgh Mafia)
  “Western Pennsylvania’s New Kensington was in the grips of Mafia control throughout the 1950s, with a bevy of bookie joints, gambling casinos and brothels. An outgrowth of the Pittsburgh mob, New Kensington’s Costa Nostra ordered a group of Mafiosi to break into a National Guard station in Ohio and steal a shipment of weapons…”

• Q&A and Excerpt: Israel Centeno (author of The Poe’s Project: Stealing Genius – Three Novellas)
  “Clementina finds herself entangled in a web of literary deception, occult secrets, and industrial power. The search for the orchid takes her deep into the world of 1890s New York [and] eventually leads to Pittsburgh, where the labor unrest of the 1890s is tearing the city apart…”

• Start Reading The Catalysts by Joseph Guzzo…
  “To those of us who have always suspected that our cats understand our words more than they let on, The Catalysts is a story told with humor and heart. It also taps into the universal what-if: what would our cats say if they could talk back?”

• Start Reading Magda, Standing by Christine Fallert Kessides (Set in Pittsburgh)!
  “In 1916, the world is at war, even if America has not yet joined the effort. But for Magda, the growing hostility surrounding her German immigrant family in Pittsburgh hits close to home…”

• Start Reading Snoopers & Sneakers by Cristina Rouvalis and Lydia Wayman (Set in Aspinwall)!
  “Don’t miss out: Rouvalis and Wayman will be launching Snoopers & Sneakers at the fabulous Spark Books in Aspinwall on January 25th from 2 – 3:30pm (and they’ll be doing a Facebook Live event, online, with Sharon Flake on Thursday January 23rd at 7 pm)…”

• Start Reading The Door in the Stone by Rob King!
  Readers probably recognize this author’s name from his Pittsburgh sports coverage, and now he’s written an “unforgettable tale” (Midwest Book Review) about five kids with “unique and growing powers […] who must learn to trust each other while taking on the strange and dangerous creatures of the woods” (I spy: a Steeler’s jersey on the cover!)

• Q&A: Josiah Golojuh (author of The Paper Boy, set in Pittsburgh in the 1990s)!
  Inspired by Josiah’s past as a newspaper delivery boy in the greater Pittsburgh area during the mid 1990s. “The Paper Boy is a clever and suspenseful contribution to the superhero genre. Josiah Golojuh will keep you guessing and make you think at the same time.” —Tom Perrotta (Oscar Nominated Writer, Little Children, Election, The Leftovers)

Jan 11: Pittsburgh Poetry Exchange Presents Winter Wonderland: A Poetry Reading by Tim Esaias, Judith R. Robinson, and Alyssa Seneni More information

Jan 14: Story Club PGH Presents: Turning Points More information

Jan 16: Marianne Novy in Conversation With Lori Jakiela on Adoption Memoirs: Inside Stories More information

Jan 18: Author Event: An Afternoon with Holly Wendt More information

Jan 19: CRAFT TALKS | PUBLISHING INTENSIVE | The Secrets to Finding the Right Path to Publication for Your Book with Peter Mountford, Masie Cochran, Jenna Johnson, and Anjali Singh More information

Jan 20: PGHwrites: Youth Poet Laureate of Allegheny County More information

Jan 20: ONYX STORM Midnight Release Party! More information

Jan 21: World Literature: Pico Iyer (England) Shares “Aflame: Learning from Silence” More information

Jan 24: meTamorphosis: a queer & trans led reading series More information

Jan 25: Write Pittsburgh: Scaffolding Your Novel More information

Jan 25: Snoopers & Sneakers Book Launch at Spark Books! More information

Jan 25: Penguin Bookshop Writers Series: An Evening with Jennifer Celeste Briggs More information

Jan 25: Reading & Conversation: "Riding Like the Wind: The Life of Sanora Babb," by Iris Jamahl Dunkle, in convo w/ Jan Beatty More information

Jan 28: PGHwrites: Free Association Reading Series More information

Jan 28: An Evening with Author Ed Simon (The Seven Deadly Sins and Seven Heavenly Virtues) More information

Jan 30: Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures: Kelly Starling Lyons! More information

Jan 31: Triangulation 2025: Dark Hearts – Submissions Closed! (Jan. 31) More information

Jan 31: Pittsburgh Book Launch with Scott W. Stern, "There is a Deep Brooding in Arkansas" (w/Deborah Brake) More information

Feb 1: Helen Smith (author of My Hair Ain’t Nappy) at B is for Books! More information

Feb 1: Lefty Blondie Press presents Gail Langstroth’s bilingual chapbook More information

Feb 2: The Poetry Atelier More information

Feb 6: Write Pittsburgh: Get Started! - Developing a Writing Practice More information

Feb 6: Chatham's Appalachian Writers Series presents: Neema Avashia (author of Another Appalachia: Coming Up Queer and Indian in a Mountain Place)! More information

Feb 7: A Virtual Special with Virginia Feito in Conversation with Gwendolyn Kiste More information

Feb 8: Bettis with Brian Butko and Sue Morris More information

Feb 8: Write Pittsburgh: Poetry of Love Writing Workshop More information

Feb 8: THE QUEENS OF CRIME LAUNCH: An Evening with Marie Benedict More information

Feb 9: An Afternoon with Author Deborah Dwork in Conversation with Emily Loeb (from the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh) More information

Feb 10: Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures: Antonia Hylton More information

Feb 15: Book Launch: Joshua Zelesnick, "Insert Coin" with Robin Clarke More information

Feb 17: Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures: An Evening with Chris Hayes More information

Feb 20: Poets Aloud: Pádraig Ó Tuama & Philip Metres More information

Feb 22: An Afternoon with Author Marie Benedict More information

Mar 1: An Afternoon with Frederick Joseph More information

Mar 7: An Evening with Jared Lemus in Conversation with Brian Broome More information

This is just a sampling of events from Littsburgh’s calendar - for a full listing, visit: https://www.littsburgh.com/local-events/

More from Nick Courage:

Nick Courage

"I Did That, Once" Rachel Said, Pointing Up At The Flying Trapeze...

I’ve been radio silent on here for a while I work on my next big project, and this is just a quick check-in—I’ll be sharing more on here in the new year. One cool thing that I’ve been doing outside of writing is helping with Pittsburgh’s bid to become an UNESCO City of Literature…

Read more

2 years ago · 7 likes · Nick Courage

The Littsburgh Crew

P.S. Littsburgh is a reader-supported effort, and you can help us keep Littsburgh going and growing by pledging your support (and becoming a free or paid subscriber)!

Call to Action: Pittsburgh Applying for a UNESCO City of Literature Designation!

"Pittsburgh has been known as a Steel Town, a Sports Town, and an Eds & Meds Town; we believe it’s time for Pittsburgh to be recognized as a vibrant literary town.

In January 2025, The City of Pittsburgh will apply for a UNESCO Creative Cities Network Cities of Literature designation. Benefits of this designation include opportunities to address disparities in literacy, cultural preservation, nurturing of talent and innovation, local and international collaboration, and sharing best practices.

We want this extraordinary opportunity to include all voices engaged in literacy, writing, reading, and literature. The City of Asylum has convened a group of interested partners to work on the application (including Littsburgh!), but we all know more organizations and people should be involved.

Please join us in conceptualizing how we can develop a collective application that positions our city to highlight, advance, and celebrate our rich history of literature, address community challenges, and enthusiastically encourage new writers, programs, and opportunities…”

More info

• Announcing the 2025 WCONA Writers Conference of Northern Appalachia® Book of the Year Longlist!
  “The Book of the Year team continues to seek and recognize work from emerging and seasoned authors who illuminate the heritage and evolving spirit of this distinct yet diverse part of the world, adding to a canon long overdue in the world of American letters…”
  

• Mark your Calendars: The Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books is back in May 2025!
  “The Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books returns on May 31, 2025! Join us for a day filled with inspiring authors, engaging discussions, and a celebration of all things literature. Visit our website to inquire about 2025 opportunities today…”
  

• Start Reading How to Live Like Li Po in Pittsburgh by Dave Newman…
  “In this remarkable book, Newman guides readers through his search to find his voice in the gritty, industrial backdrop of Pittsburgh, his beloved home country and native land…”

• Interview + Introduction (by Dave Newman): Greg Clary, author of The Vandalia in Me
  “Clary is the Whitman of West Virginia, honoring the laborers, the precious encounters, the deeper wisdoms. He understands intimately that life itself is poetry.” —Philip Terman, author of My Blossoming Everything and This Crazy
  

• Q&A: Jennifer Celeste Briggs (author of Watching Sarah Rise: A Journey of Thriving with Autism)
  Don’t miss out: The book launch party for Watching Sarah Rise: A Journey of Thriving with Autism will be at Penguin Bookshop in Sewickley at 5pm on January 25, 2025!

• Introducing: Stay Gold Books in Regent Square!

• Interview and Sneak Peek: You Are My Everything by Kelly Conroy, illustrated by Abigail Hookham!

• The Littsburgh Interview: Patrick Radden Keefe (New York Times-bestselling author of Rogues: True Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels and Crooks)!

Joyful Chaos with Rachel Ekstrom Courage

Joyful Chaos Issue 3: Being Honest with You...

Dear Friends…

Read more

2 years ago · 9 likes · 2 comments · Rachel Ekstrom Courage

Dec 3: Open Mic Night! READ THE ROOM, organized by Ryan Chavara & Kelsey Swintek More information

Dec 3: Damon Young’s “How to Survive in America” with Joy Priest, Adriana Ramirez, & Jesse Washington More information

Dec 5: BookTalk - Season’s Greetings: Christmas Letters from Those Who Were There with Ruth L. Boling More information

Dec 5: Strange New Worlds: a speculative reading @ Big Idea Books More information

Dec 6: Unblurred Ekphrastic Poetry @ Silver Eye Center for Photography More information

Dec 6: "A Season for That" by Steve Hoffman, in-conversation with Beth Kracklauer More information

Dec 7: Season's Readings: Local Author Holiday Event at the Little Green Bookstore (Zelienople)! More information

Dec 7: OddMonth Poetry Series at Bantha Tea Bar More information

Dec 8: Author Special Sunday Storytime with Kelly Conroy - Squirrel Hill More information

Dec 8: Cider & Plants Greenhouse CO-OP - Poetry Reading and Open Mic More information

Dec 10: Christopher Rivas Talks Being Brown & Making it in America with Betty Cruz More information

Dec 12: An Evening with Author Sharon Short (in Conversation with Barbara Jeremiah) More information

Dec 12: meTamorphosis: a queer & trans led reading series More information

Dec 13: Featured Event: International Poetry Forum Presents: Emily Wilson (Acclaimed Translator of The Iliad and The Odyssey) – Special Discount for Littsburgh Readers! More information

Dec 14: Banned Book Reading @ A Few of a Kind More information

Dec 14: Exploding Kittens Book Launch with Joe Wos! More information

Dec 15: World Literature: Joseph O’Neill Shares “Godwin” More information

Dec 22: The Sunday Morning Salon: Stay Gold Books More information

This is just a sampling of events from Littsburgh’s calendar - for a full listing, visit: https://www.littsburgh.com/local-events/

Tickets for the event are on sale here. Free seats are available for all students, educators, librarians, and library/school staff & volunteers. For all others, use the code “LITTSBURGH” at check-out to receive 40% off your tickets!

Event Details:

• Doors open at 7:00 PM

• Reading & book signing at 8:00 PM

• Drinks will be available for purchase in the foyer before the reading (which guests are welcome to bring into the newly renovated Music Hall)

Copies of Dr. Wilson’s work will be available for purchase before and after the reading from City of Asylum Bookstore.

We hope you join us for this exciting event, which celebrates the relaunch of Pittsburgh’s storied International Poetry Forum. In the meantime, you can listen to recordings of Seamus Heaney, Gwendolyn Brooks, Chinua Achebe, Mary Oliver, Grace Kelly, Danny Glover, James Earl Jones, and hundreds more in the audio archives of the International Poetry Forum.

Many thanks to the International Poetry Forum for supporting Littsburgh and sponsoring this email—and for the special discount for Littsburgh readers!